By Nelson Amaobi Osuala
Tuesday 1st of Dec 2015. Time 07: 31pm
The University community of cross river state will never forget the the just step aside vice chancellor, to wit, prof James Epoke whose tenure recorded the dualistic opposites of success and failure, blessings and curses, commendations as well as condemnations from all and sundry. With particular mention are Malabites and Malabresses, internal cum external critics who in my opinion reflect the necessary watchers of the University of calabar agora as they are there to ensure that the supposed excesses of the Management of this Institutions is curbed and contained.
Prof. James Epoke is not a man of many words. He has been described by many as a goal getter, a dugged and rugged leader who to my mind, better fits into president Muhammadu Buhari's examplary version of a man who. " .. Belongs to everybody and yet is for nobody " as contained in the latter's world famous inaugural speech .
Without much ado, information reaching us at Negroidhaven has it that there has been a relinguishing as well as a transition of power in university of calabar. By this we mean that the Governing Council of the University of Calabar, did on Friday the 27th of November announce Prof. Zana Itiunbe Akpagu, as the new and 10th Vice Chancellor of the institution.
Our source did inform that prof.zana is the immediate past Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration) of the university who prior to this time of assuming this office, has also served as the Dean of Arts during the time of which he has to battle it out on the political field with the feminine Prof.Mrs OluJacobs, the Iron Lady who was loved by many and is known for her disciplined lifestyle and punctuality. No doubt, prof Zana will not forget such incident in a hurry as the courageous front by the Iron lady took him back to his drawing board and taught him never to rest on his oars and to always reverence the opposite gender bearing in mind that the popular saying that " what a man can do, a woman can also do " isn't a child's play.
Back to our story, one Mr Effiong Eyoh, the institution’s spokesman, told our correspondence that prof.Akpagu is the second Vice Chancellor to emerge from the Faculty of Arts, after the short-lived tenure of Prof. Solomon Unoh in 1995. And that, He will take over from Prof. James Epoke, whose tenure ended yesterday, November 30.
We join all well meaning lovers of the university of calabar agora as well as all sincere constructive critics of prof. zana to congratulate him for this giant stride.
